[lazyben]

So I've been thinking about my earlier interaction with Spencer and would like to apologize. I haven't really processed that he is now an official representative of mondo and is now included in whatever may be said about them.

My views of mondo and how it has been run to date stand and I am no way apologizing for those as they are sincerely held and I consider myself quite within my rights to have expressed them. There has been plenty of constructive criticism as well as my (in)famous one liners. I'm only talking about the record label side of things as I'm not interested in posters/toys/hipster clothing and have had zero interaction with that side of the business.

I hope and trust that things will now be changing and that the mondo label will be run a bit more like Death Waltz and a bit less like some sort of hipster-flipper-circlejerkathon. I'm going to give the changes a bit of time to bed in and see how things turn out before I vent again. Of course if nothing changes then all bets are off but I don't really see that happening as I think something has to change and Spencer always has a plan.

Sorry Spencer and viva la revolucion!

[Purplemule74]

Shesh, I really don't want to give these changes a chance to bed in if it has been a flipper-hipster-jerkathon. At least take a shower before bed.

[toosoonjunior]

All hail Mondo Waltz!

[philball1974]

I don't get the issue with mondo, maybe I've had a good experience?

[siforster]

Waldo!

[texasvinyl]

Moth Wand?

[ghostfires]

@philball1974 - you don't get the issue with Mondo even after reading everything that has been complained about???

[raedarius23@hotmail.com]

Moth Wando, in recognition of what Samuel L Jackson's character could have been called in certain Star Wars films.

[philball1974]

@ghostfires what I mean is ive not experienced any frustration. I ordered, they delivered. I could care less about hipsters and flippers, it's just not something that bothers me. There's bigger things in my life to worry about.

Sure if you get shit service or things don't get sent out then that's uncool. I just hear a lot of hatred that I don't get.

[texasvinyl]

I think the one thing they can really improve is communication and email customer service, though I've personally never had to contact them about any orders. And it sounds like they must have lost some stock or caught a bad run on Jurassic Park, and back to point 1 haven't been great about updating people. They used to take their sweet time shipping stuff, but that has improved significantly since they staffed up the mail room.

Everything else? I'm with Phil on that. I dig the Mondo stuff, prints and LPs, and I have never had an issue with any of the releases--never an issue with a bad press, never received a damaged LP in the mail, never an issue getting a hold of any of the releases including variants (hint: buy two and sell the extra, and you'll always get a variant if that's what you want).

I do wish they'd use more heavy tip-on jackets instead of direct board printed jackets, and they finally did go tip-on with 2001. And like everyone else I wish I had a copy of the Chattaway Maniac. But I just don't get the haters. Don't like? Don't buy. Most of the stuff they've put out has been good. A couple weren't my favorites, but the same holds true for Death Waltz.

It's like they decided to do one cool movie prop thing for Looper and everyone's panties twisted into superknots, like "fuck you hipsters, we deserve something less cool." I really don't get it. And the hostility is a bummer and totally unwarranted.

I mean, this is a Drafthouse company. They do some pretty rad stuff, and it's a company I can stand behind. Going to a movie at a Cinemark or AMC theater is like taking a step into a dystopian conglomerate nightmare full of shitty commercials, $10 greasy popcorn and Coke sponsorships. Since we (finally!) got a Drafthouse in Dallas I stopped seeing movies anywhere else. The experience is night and day.

And I do think that ethos is infused in the Drafthouse subsidiaries like Mondo and now Death Waltz. Hell, I emailed the Drafthouse asking what "Halloween meets Friday the 13th Part 3" track they play in the "shut the fuck up" clip that runs before the movie, and they steered me to a 1979 KPM LP by Andy Clarke called "Communications"

[NathanLurker]

[quote=32697](hint: buy two and sell the extra, and you’ll always get a variant if that’s what you want).[/quote]

this is not true though. I ordered 2 Omens and they were both black. so buying 2 jusst increases your chances a bit but ...

[Hatter313]

@texasvinyl

I live a few towns away from the drafthouse in NY, and i have to say that ever since it opened I have a hard time going to the movies elsewhere. I've already got tickets for almost every weekend from now until November. they really do bring great things, and with their organization behind Mondo and now DW, i can't wait. The way i see it, Spencer now has a vastly increased resource to make both labels truly excellent.

[Garmonbozia]

I also don't get the fury Mondo brings out in some of you weirdos. There's this palpable rage that comes across when Mondo comes up that makes no sense to me. Everything I've ordered from them has come relatively quickly and in good shape and they put out some really great music. Here Comes the Devil is probably my favorite soundtrack of the year and The Visitor is incredible. I like One Way Static and Waxwork just fine but find myself more excited more often by the stuff Mondo puts out. Timecrimes, The Visitor, Here Comes the Devil The Beyond are all wonderful.

[Rob]

I've not had any trouble with Mondo either. When my Omen decided to holiday in places unknown they sorted me out with a new one, which finally arrived after another detour.

One thing I really hope comes out of this is cheaper shipping to the UK. The US gets to order DW & OWS stuff through LITA, but we have no choice here (that I'm aware of). I was chatting to the guys in my local store this week, and they were saying that Mondo stuff is really expensive for them to order in. As an example, they recently got Gravity in to retail at £40 (roughly $65). If these sort of prices can come down, that would definitely be good.

Also, DL codes, just because they make life easier.

[texasvinyl]

Bummer! I always just kind of assumed they have a pile of variant and another pile of black and grab one of each when someone orders two. I think I do remember something about Omen having a smaller number of variant copies, maybe that's why.

[texasvinyl]

I feel you on shipping. A lot of people that buy from me on Discogs are international, and the rates US--> overseas are *horrible*! It usually costs me $20-26 to send a record to Europe, and for most countries there is a 4 lb total package weight limitation on regular first class international, it gets really absurdly expensive over 4 pounds weight.

[lazyben]

@garmonbozia While your n=1 epxerience may be lovely it has obviously not been the same for everybody. Why is that so hard to understand?

[guyremix]

I have to add that i also have had nothing but excellent service from Mondo. Every LP i order is delivered in perfect condition. I get quite a few variants & only order ONE of any title. They always reply to my emails & the one time i had a record with a slight fault they sent me another one out straight away. I really can't say a bad word!

[Garmonbozia]

Because the anger never seems to come from their service but this weird, paranoid perception of them as these super arrogant hipsters that don't care about anything but money. I do not get it.

[ghostfires]

[quote=32883]Because the anger never seems to come from their service but this weird, paranoid perception of them as these super arrogant hipsters that don’t care about anything but money. I do not get it.[/quote]

You need to take some time to read through the Mondo thread then, as you obviously have not paid any attention to it with a comment like that. There are loads of comments about their poor customer service, and all kinds of negative issues people have run into when dealing with Mondo. I would read through that thread from the start before you pass off the dislike for Mondo as simply as dislike for hipsters...that's a very uneducated summarization.

[freshoj]

I also don't get it the level of anger either and I have read all of the threads.

Sure some folks have case to be annoyed with them (and other labels on this board I might add), but there definitely seems to be an attitude among some that Mondo don't *want* to provide good service or good products. In fact, they don't even want to please their customers - they just want to screw with us and take our money.

I am sure they are always trying to improve and probably do spread themselves a little thin (which admittedly hurts this effort), but I am sure this isn't an elaborate conspiracy to rustle everyone's jimmies. Bringing on Spencer was probably a very good step closer towards this improvement.

[philball1974]

X

[guyremix]

To be honest i quite often see posts on here where people are complaining of not having replies to emails sent to death waltz & long delays getting items so i think every label has issues here & there. None of them are 100% perfect.

[chandler75]

Except OWS

[tonyandrewgiles]

+1 for OWS.

They lead the way in customer service IMO.